Six months in and I have mustard algae!!!

[onerailunder]

I really thought I had a handle on the chemistry thing. Numbers were:

FC 4.5
CC .5
TC 5.0
pH 7.5
T/A 100
CH 460
CYA 50
Temp. 84 deg

I'm adding Muriatic Acid nearly weekly, but I'm not too worried about it. This year we've been hit with an Oak Pollen Armageddon. Despite the fact that the pool has a solar cover. I'm finding pollen mixed throughout the sides and floor of the pool. I find it hard to believe, but the filter looks like this:

No biggie, I brush alot and it mostly seems to clear.

Here's a pic with a gentle brush swipe to remove the pollen:

My FC levels are bouncing around alot and I adjust the salt water generator a bunch, but eventually they're 2 and then two days later, zero!!! I add some bleach to get it back to 5, but something is clearly wrong.

Poking around the Aquarite Goldline saltwater generator panel reveals its functioning erratically. It registers instant salt at zero ppm and changes the cell type from T3/5/9/15 randomly and intermittently sends current to the cell. Gotta call in to the builder, etc. etc.

I'm figuring out I don't have a pollen problem. The water is now cloudy and greenish.

My CYA is still at 50, so it looks like I'm shocking to a FC of 30 ppm for over 24 hours. I plan to leave the noodles, etc. in the pool and the cover on. I don't have a great way to clean the solar cover separately. I'm also gonna clean the light housing. I presume I kill the breaker to it, remove the housing screws and start cleaning while the chlorine level is high.

Any suggestions regarding the cover, light, or anything else I'm missing?

 

[JasonLion]

I am sorry you are having problems. It sounds like the SWG problem is probably the root cause.

If you remove the light from the housing, which is fairly easy, and do some brushing it should be very simple to clean out the niche. The only additional step is turning off the breaker first, as you suggested.

Remember to brush the entire pool while at shock level, and don't leave the solar cover on all the time. The water needs time to breathe while at shock level.

 

[onerailunder]

Re: Six months in and I have mustard algae!!! edit: HALP!

Arrrgggghhhh!!!!! I dump in enough chlorine to raise the FC to 33.5 Sunday night. It has dropped to 29 by morning so I bring it up to 32. It drops over a couple of hours to 28, so I bring it back up to 31.5. The cover is off the whole day. I've brushed the entire pool twice with a nylon bristle brush and once with a stainless steel one. Monday night I add another quart and a half of chlorine and figure I'll give it a good 36 hours at over 30 ppm of FC.

I get home tonight after work and I can brush up greenish plumes from the floor of the pool !!!!! The FC has now fallen to 24 even though it's been covered with a solar cover. I'm thinking of raising the FC to 40 tonight and adding more tomorrow morning.

I need some halp from you guys with more experience. Am I brushing dead stuff, or do I shock further into oblivion?

On the plus side, the board for the SWG was replaced without any hassle at all. It's turned off during the shock process though.

 

[jblizzle]

See Jason's comment above.

You do not want the solar cover on while you are shocking as the sun breaks down the CC.

For a CYA of 50ppm the FC shock level is 20ppm ... 30ppm I guess if you think it is really mustard algae.

You just have to keep at it and keep the FC up above the shock level as much as you can. The shocking process can take a long time ... just trust that all the FC you are putting in is killing something and continuing to brush will help also. You need to keep shocking until you pass the OCLT, CC < 0.5, AND the water is clear.

 

[onerailunder]

Thanks for the replies. I think I just need reassurance like every other newb. I also think I misunderstood the recommendations and expected 24 hrs of FC over 30 would kill all the mustard algae rather than interpreting it as the first step in the process.

I'll keep the FC over 20 'til it stops dropping overnight. Cover off during the day, thanks for mentioning sunlights relation to CCs.

The majority of stuff I brushed was chalky or gray. The inital greenish stuff caused some dismay.

Thanx for being patient, I realize you guys must repeat this stuff ad infanatum.

 

[chem geek]

Be sure to get behind light niches and under removable ladders and other shaded areas where the algae likes to hang out. You want to kill all of it so that it doesn't come back.